Canister light battery charging question

[carrielsal]

I just bought a 700 lumen DiveRite canister light. The instructions said to run the battery down until the light goes out 3-5 times to condition it. The first time I charged the battery and let it run down, the light stayed bright for 4-5 hours. The second time I charged the battery, the charge light changed to solid green within about 30 minutes. The light only stayed on about 1.5 hours. I thought maybe it hadn't charged long enough, so I left it plugged in overnight. This morning when I turned the light on, it stayed bright again for only about 1.5 hours.
This light should have at least 4 hour burn time. Is this normal behavior the first few charges? I am concerned that I may have a bad battery.
How long should it take for the battery to charge?
I also have the light head in a sink of water when it's on.

Carrie

 

[carrielsal]

This time the light went out after 2 hours. I just plugged it back in. When I plugged it in before, the green light on the power brick flashed. Now the green light does not come on at all. Do I have a bad battery?

 

[carrielsal]

I think the battery is toast. The green light on the power brick has not come on. I kept a close eye on the light to make sure I turned it off as soon as the light went out. What happened?
I am so disappointed. I was going to take the light for a test drive tomorrow.

 

[divad]

I think the battery is toast. The green light on the power brick has not come on. I kept a close eye on the light to make sure I turned it off as soon as the light went out. What happened?
I am so disappointed. I was going to take the light for a test drive tomorrow.

This might sound stupid and insulting, but are you sure the power cord from the outlet to the charger is fully plugged in? If mine is even a little loose, I get the same results. If you can get the blinking green light, cycle the battery again. Make sure that you plug the battery into the charger before plugging the charger into the outlet and the reverse when it's charged.

 

[sprange]

This might sound stupid and insulting, but are you sure the power cord from the outlet to the charger is fully plugged in? If mine is even a little loose, I get the same results. If you can get the blinking green light, cycle the battery again. Make sure that you plug the battery into the charger before plugging the charger into the outlet and the reverse when it's charged.

That's weird. For my Salvo light, I have to plug the charger into the outlet first, then connect the battery. If I do the reverse it doesn't charge. It's great living in an inconsistent world!

 

[Gombessa]

That's weird. For my Salvo light, I have to plug the charger into the outlet first, then connect the battery. If I do the reverse it doesn't charge. It's great living in an inconsistent world!

I had an older Dive Rite HID and the instructions said the same as above.

30 minutes to full green isn't enough for a full charge on most ~4ah batteries (which I'm guessing is what you have). From what I understand of NiMH charging, it can be frustratingly hit-or-miss. Sometimes you have to unplug and re-plug the battery into the charger a couple of times before it starts charging all the cells. After a full burn, I'd expect it to take a couple of hours to achieve a full charge.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Let the battery cool before you charge it. Then per the instructions, plug the battery to the charger then plug the charger into the wall.

 

[divad]

That's weird. For my Salvo light, I have to plug the charger into the outlet first, then connect the battery. If I do the reverse it doesn't charge. It's great living in an inconsistent world!

They're just different chargers. Living in a consistent world would be weired, but then, how would we know? There wouldn't even be a word for it. EGADS, we'd all be automatons.

 

[carrielsal]

I unplugged it from the charger and put it back in the light. Low and behold the light came on, so it must have been charging. I left it unplugged for a couple of hours. I just plugged it back it and the green light is now flashing....weird.
Any idea why the burn time has dropped down to only an hour and a half? I'll be running it through a few more charge cycles to see if it increases.
Carrie

 

[divad]

Any idea why the burn time has dropped down to only an hour and a half?
Carrie

I don't need to know why. That's what they do. It's just Chinatown. Mine did the same thing. After I calmed down and followed the directions, it worked fine. Just cycle it 'til it burns longer.



[DiveRite] Battery charging notes:
• The battery may not attain full burn time until you have
charged and discharged the battery several times. The
battery may need to be cycled (charged and discharged)
three to five times before maximum burn times are
reached.